First You Lie To Congress, Then You Wear This Tie?

Can someone tell Rodger Clemens it's not 1988 anymore? Are things that bad in his life that he can't afford a decent tie? Honestly, is this a prank? Was he trying to punk us?

Come on Clemens, we all know you shot yourself with needles, but at least make an attempt to look the part. I swear I wore that same tie at my first communion.

You can lie to Congress and almost get away with it, but you simply shouldn't be able to wear a tie like that and live another day in this country.

And yes, this post is absolutely an attempt to deflect my current anger and frustration with the Red Sox.

Not a Good Weekend

There just isn't that much to say. A half-empty Tropicana ringing with a few weak cowbells saw the Sox fall again tonight, putting them 6 and 1/2 back in the division and wild card. A particularly disappointing finish to what looked like it might be a glimmer-of-hope weekend.

Is it insurmountable? No. If Buchholz and Lester start going on 2 days rest, then the Sox are right in the hunt. But it's tough to see how they're going to make up these games without a dramatic improvement from Beckett and Lackey. The dog days have been lackluster, though, and even hardened Sox fans, knowing that this was possibly a make-or-break series, had a tough time feeling the magic of late-summer baseball. I for one only mustered a few choice mutterings when Jed Lowrie, the tying run, got called out on a ball a foot out of the zone on a swing that didn't go a quarter of the way around. But that was that, and that's the way August has been.

That said, there's a month of baseball to be played, and only a week's worth of games to make up. The Sox have the Rays for 3 more at home next week and a big 3 game set in NYC at the end of September. For the latter, ITM is calling now for a summit. I'm fleeing New York for autumn in Massachusetts, and I'm calling the Vicinos and Murphys together for one last pull. We might still be 6 games out with 6 to go at that point, but dammit if we're not going to believe against all reason. We might just reclaim the old Sox mantle - baseball's Knights of Faith.

Random Rainout Video Post: An Underrated Classic

No one likes rain outs in August, especially wind-driven cold ones. Either way, with the Sox idle as result of this October like monsoon in Boston, and the Yanks and Rays likely on their way to victories, I'm forced to turn to a classic commercial to keep my optimism up.

It's just too bad that Big Mac had to go ruin a great commercial by throwing his name down the toilet with needles and supplements. Regardless, you can't deny the amazing acting of Maddux in this piece, it's an award-winning performance that goes completely overlooked. The man was a nerd, knew it, and had dart-like control......a lethal combination in any aspect of life.

....ITM note: How bad must it be that I was almost pumped when the game was called and I didn't have to watch Josh Beckett disappoint me again tonight?

It's Clay's World and We're All Just Living in it...

Clay Buchholz's season of dominance kept chugging along today. Another ho-hum outing of keeping a powerful lineup off the scoreboard. It's just Buchh being Buchh.

And another reason to keep a small bit of playoff hope for these Red Sox.

A weekend family wedding kept me away from the games, but it's nice to know that I have nothing to really worry about when Buchholz is on the bump.

Second in the AL with 15 wins, leading the league with an unreal 2.26 ERA, and STILL under the radar. I don't get it, but I'll certainly take it.

I'm lucky enough to have money seats to tomorrow's game, right on the first base line.....and with my luck it'll rain on me the entire time. Regardless, I'm just hopeful they can get the game in, the Sox can get on a run, and Heidi is close by.

....an open bar wedding means I desperately need sleep. Go Sox

Beckett Can't Get The Sox Over the Hump

(I hear ya Tito, loud and clear)

I'm not saying he pitched poorly, but he certainly continues to fail in rising to the occasion. Things were going well for a bit, but then Josh Beckett let up a three run tater to Godzilla and the Sox never had a chance after that.

I'm not going to rant and rage about Beckett's inconsistency, lack of ace-like stuff, or ability to dominate important games throughout the year (..or did i just do that?). I will however say that having Josh Beckett (on the Red Sox and/or on your Fantasy team) is like having a hot ex girlfriend. She was great for a while, but you don't trust her anymore, you want nothing to do with her, but deep down, you know she's still got "it" somewhere, and you can't help but stay interested.

This is by no means directly applicable to me, I just watch a lot of Entourage.

Either way, with the Rays losing late night, the Sox missed yet another chance to gain ground in the Wild Card race......a "race" that is becoming more and more one sided.

Buchholz Steals Pedey's Limelight - Start Talking Cy Young

Dustin Pedroia returned tonight after 7 weeks of injury to a standing ovation. It was even his birthday.

Ryan Kalish, a yet to be determined level of studly rookie hit a grand slam to break the game open.

But to be honest, none of that matters, because Clay Buchholz has been that good this year.

After going 7 dominate innings against a Halos team that simply can't score against the Sox, Buchholz has absolutely cemented himself in the Cy Young award talk.

Joe Murph and I had this conversation after his last start, we were concerned that he wouldn't have enough time to pile on some wins, and we agreed that he remains under the radar and won't get the "sexy votes" that David Price may (ITM note, how is that possible given the Boston/Tampa market differences?).

Tonight's game however, in my mind, put him square in the mix. At 14-5, a ridiculous league leading ERA of 2.36, a WHIP of 1.1, and the title of being the most consistent and valuable pitcher in the AL, how can this guy not get a ton of votes?

Also, have you ever seen a pitcher make adjustments as quickly and as well as Buchholz? Most prospects get lit up a bit, and it takes a few years to make adjustments before they reach this level of success, but Buchholz has essentially done it in one year.

He's matured to the point where he realizes he doesn't need to strike everyone out, in fact, he's among the league leaders in ground outs, which helps to keep his pitch count down.

Going into the season, if you would have told us a Red Sox pitcher was in the Cy Young discussion, many would have assumed Lester, maybe Beckett, possibly Lackey, but probably not Buchholz. See how much this guy has poured?

Imagine if Theo dealt this guy? (ITM note, at one point or another, all of us were ready to show him the door for a bat, admit it).

Now if we could ever get the Rays and Yanks to lose on the same nights as the Sox win, we'd be on to something.

Playoffs or not, Buchholz needs to be on the ultra short list for Cy Young consideration. Mark it zero, next frame.

A Shot of Optimism: The Laser Show Returns

I think we're all searching for a little bit of good news and optimism after a 5-5 road trip that should have been 7-3. We're further away from a playoff spot than when it started, but you know what....Pedey's back.

I'm not saying he'll laser show us right back into a playoff spot, mainly because our bullpen is that bad and we still have starting outfielders with names like Patterson, McDonald and Kalish, but if nothing else, he'll give us more to be excited about.

So while Ellsbury sits in "worse pain than ever before", and Beckett continues to implode in front of our eyes, at least ITM should have good pre and post game quotes from Pedey to pedal for the next month or two.

Thank god he plays baseball better than he dances.

Say Hello To The New Josh Beckett:

Fresh off getting a ridiculous contract, Rick Wild Thing Vaughn in the video above is the closest comparable I can find to Boston's former ace Josh Beckett.

I was mad as hell after he got lit up against the Yanks, but to follow it up with another clunker, while the Rays and Yanks are continuing to try to hand us a playoff spot.....I'm not sure it can get much worse.

It's simple, if Beckett was the pitcher we thought he was over his last few starts (or the entire year for that matter), we'd be more than in the mix for both the Wildcard and AL East. But since he's pitched more like John Smoltz of 09' than an ace, we continue to sit frustrated on the outside looking in.

Playoff teams win close games like we've had in the past week, they scoreboard watch and know when and how to play with outright desperation. It's becoming more and more apparent that our Red Sox are just not a playoff team.

You're Kililng Us Pap!

We here at ITM are too angry to submit a real post right now. Safe to say people are ducking me in the hallways after that BS performance from someone who is supposed to be an elite closer in the league.

Joe Murph and I were all ready to blog about Jed Lowrie's studliness and my borderline creepy man love with Salty.

Way to ruin it Pap, way to ruin it for everyone.

Rays are idle, Yanks are playing a tough Texas team tonight.....biggest loss of the season.

Also, you can stop asking to be the highest paid closer in the league now, you shouldn't sniff anywhere close to that level of money at this point. Lastly - how symbolic was the Tito taking out Pap and putting in Bard? Can't fault Bard for giving up a sac fly considering he inherited a piece of crap.

Why the Big Deal Over the Cards/Reds Fight??

All morning I heard about this "brawl", Sportscenter has been leading with it, I've been reading facebook status updates about how this was an "epic" fight. Really? You're going to use the word epic for this? This is really big news these days? A bunch of sallies pushing each other around and screaming in Spanish?

Plus, it's the National League, and although the Reds are an interesting story this year, no one on the East Coast actual cares about this....and everyone knows that the East Coast is the only region that matters.

Not to mention, no one in their right mind would actually choose to live in/root for Cincinnati.

You want epic? Let's talk Nolan Ryan vs Robin Ventura - Don't mess with Old Man Strength:

Or the famous Izzy Alcantara "I'll drop kick your ass" fight

Now we're talking epic.

Buchholz in a big start tonight...and Salty has been called up....Go Sox.

Yo, Rocco! He's Back - Again - But Is This Photo Real Life?

Rocco Baldelli is back! but tell me, is this photo real life? Nothing about this picture says a 28 year old Italian American with great athletic talent who once drew comparisons to Joe DiMaggio.

Seriously, what's the deal with the sketchy porn star stache??? Did he lose a bet? Has he lost his vision as a result of his case of mono?

Joe Murph just commented that he looks like a character from "Gangs of New York". True story, he looks more like defeated 35 + league softball player than anything else.

He almost looks like mentally challenged David Arquette.

But seriously Rocco, buona fortuna. Me, and the entire state of Rhode Island, are rooting for ya.

Just make sure the Sox pass you guys for the wild card.

Yankee Stadium, on second thought

I don't know why I would be in a gracious mood after we stumbled out of the weekend no better off than we were against the Yanks, one game better against the Rays (against whom, according to my calculations, Vicino would have, were he to throw against them in five games, a 47.5% chance of completing a no-hitter), and with the Twins nipping at our second-place-in-the-Wild-Card heels, but I am.

And so, I just wanted to issue a quick apology to Yankee Stadium. ITM dumped on it a little bit last year, but I will admit that upon the weekend's reexamination, it's a pretty decent place. They've managed to get a strange mix of big city elegance - the overwhelming whiteness of the old style bunting grates on the uppermost rim, the amazing lighting - and urban claustrophobia. Despite the roominess of most seats and the general cleanliness, the angles of the park give the impression that you and everyone else are hanging directly over the field, so that when the action starts revving up, there's a real cage-match mentality in the stands.

And, frankly, I don't miss sitting in the bleachers in the old Stadium where if you got a beer dumped on you, it didn't matter, since you already reeked of beer and who knows what else soon as you stepped into the place.

So, in short, I will always, always prefer Fenway, "a lyric little bandbox of a ballpark," as Updike put it. It makes you feel the way you should when baseball is being played. But, if I'm going to watch a live game in an over-sanitized, overpriced airport terminal of a ballpark filled with "New Yorkers" just off the train from Jersey, I don't mind it being in the new Yankee Stadium.

Sorry, that's as gracious as I can be. Oh and it's nice that they still have Jeter come to bat to the Bob Shepherd announcement. There, I'm all out of grace for the day.

Lucky to Split, But We'll Take It

In the bottom of the 8th, I ran up to my office's cafe to watch the last inning or so..... in an instant I had lost all professionalism and started screaming at the screen. From Bard being kept in for too long, to pitching to Big Teix in the bottom of the 9th, I was a pacing mess.

While I may have lost the respect around the office, the Red Sox managed to come out with a 2-1 nail biter victory in the Bronx. The win gives them a split of the important series, and under normal circumstances, that simply wouldn't have been enough to truly keep them in the playoff conversation.

Luckily for them, the Rays have been puking on themselves of late, essentially allowing us just a little more wiggle room before sending me into complete freak out mode.

Lester stepped up today and did what neither Lackey nor Beckett could. He quieted the Yankees just long enough to get to Bard and Pap in order to pump fastballs and secure the win. If there were question marks about Lester and his "ace" status going into the series, he once again answered them. Studly performance.

The difference in this series was not necessarily the Red Sox injuries, but the lack of stepping up by Lackey and Beckett....if it had gone as planned, I'd be sinking beers in excitement and lighting fireworks off in a back bay parking lot with T Murph right now. It happens.

So the Sox head North to play a surprisingly resilient Blue Jays club while the Yanks face the first place Rangers and the Rays take on a Baltimore team that is waking up under their new skipper....

The Sox remain squarely on the edge of in the mix and being on the outside looking in, it's not good for my health, but for now, I'll take it.

How is Boston's Door Still Open?

Joe Murph was at the game last night, had great seats, and expected to blog about ITM's first hand experience, but thanks to the outcome he has refused to post about it and may not go to another Sox/Yanks game in his life (he's convinced he caused the bad play).

Anyways, if it wasn't for the massive amount of injuries, this would be a typical Red Sox season at this point. A few high points followed immediately by low points that make Mondays even more of a pain to deal with. Consider the following:

-The Sox just lost two in a row to the Yankees, extending the Yank's already significant lead in the AL East.

-The Twins now have the same record as the Sox.

-The one part of the Sox team that is healthy, the starting rotation, just let us down in big games on back to back nights.

-Further, the Sox paid some 160 million on Beckett and Lackey earlier this year under the assumption they would do the exact opposite of what happened this weekend (AKA actually show up for a big game against NY and put the team on their back).

-Kevin Cash is still in Boston's starting lineup.

-Dustin Moseley (who??) looked like Pedro Martinez out there last night.

-Jacoby Ellsbury looks like David Ortiz in April thus far in his return. He's not even working walks to get on base in order to use his speed.

-We now turn again to Jon Lester to pick us up off the group and save some kind of face for the series.....only he's been mediocre at best lately.

I could go on, but it hurts too much. Yet, all that said, and the door to the Wild Card remains open. I'm not entirely sure how, but the Rays have essentially tripped over their own feet for the past week, losing 5 straight. They've fumbled the ball on the 10 yard line, while the guy behind them crapped their pants trying to chase them down. (still not sure if that makes any sense at all)

Also, how has a team that is so good almost been no hit so many times this year?? (ITM note: Brandon Morrow was absolutely lights out, best pitching performance of the year in my book, mark it zero, next frame).

Morning Brew - The Headlines in New York

Yeah, I know we tend to do this bit more when the Sox have won. Oh well, I'm still feeling pessimistic for this series, so I'm going to get this out of my system while I can still enjoy it.

NY Daily News: Javier Vazquez Regresses When Yankees Need Him Most (This one is a bit precise for a headline, frankly, but they jam a lot of disappointment and humanity into it, so I'll give them points for that.)

NY Daily News: Hurry Back, Andy Pettitte (This was a common sentiment this morning. For every story about the game, there were two about Pettitte's successful bullpen session. For the last few months after all, it's been Sabathia and Vazquez carrying the 1-2 load, with Burnett uneven.)

NY Daily News: He's Back?!? Isiah Returns to Knicks (This I just had to include because it announces what I hope will be the return of New York sport's bonkers bad heyday. Can you believe that the Knicks have done this? (I don't know what's crazier, the fact that the Knicks have rehired Isiah, or the fact that this program's spell check has trouble with that name until I give it Thomas's messed-up spelling - 'Who is that you say? The prophet? Never heard of him. Oh, Isiah, the nutjob ballplayer - gotcha, we'll get rid of that squiggly red line right away, Mr. Murphy.') Vacarro in the Post had the best take on it, essentially spending a whole column challenging the Knicks ownership to a fight: "If someone walked up to you in a bar and treated you with the kind of disdain, the kind of naked contempt, that James Dolan showed you yesterday, there are just two ways you would possibly have reacted. If you are a woman, you would have thrown a drink in his face. If you are a man, you would have asked him to step outside.")

NY Post: Yankees Burned By Three Unearned Runs. (Rhyming's all right, I guess.)

NY Post: Err Ball (with picture of Cervelli drop) (Way too much thought involved here. I had to speak it aloud five different ways, like I was learning to read with phonetics, before I got the joke.

NY Post: Cervelli Wears Goat Horns Following Costly Drop (Oof, the Post is vicious, not only are they saying he ruined the game, but they have to go with a double-entendre suggesting he's been cuckolded? It's a rough town.)

NY Times: With Yanks' Help, Red Sox Inch Closer (I just put this one in because it was so hard to find. Had to dig through a story about cricket, Dutch league soccer, rugby, and three stories about how vuvuzelas will be banned at the US-Brazil friendly in the Meadowlands next week (ITM will be there, hopefully in the middle of one of the samba dance troupes.) The Times just hates America's pasttime, I think.)

One Down

A few thoughts following the Sox 6-3 victory over the Yankees in this first of a critical four game set:

- Gutsy performance from Buchholz. He was sharp throughout, but there were two moments where it looked like he was teetering on the edge: in the fourth inning, after Scutaro made the bad flip and put runners on first and second with nobody out, then again the next inning when he hit Jeter then gave up a first-to-third single to Swisher. It couldn't have been a pretty sight from the mound, staring at a slim lead, runners on the corners, and coming up Teixeira, ARod, and Cano. But both tight spots, Buch locked in and got out with minimal damage, the lead in tact. That was a gutsy stretch, and once he got through, Buch steamrolled.

- The small strike zone certainly seemed to favor the Sox. It was called consistent throughout the night. Vazquez needed a few gimmes, and when he didn't get them, he lost the zone completely. Good thing, too, because his breaking stuff was breaking hard. He had a thirty-mile per hour difference between the fastball and the curve - sick.

- From the New York broadcast, I just want you to know that Al Leiter is a big Buchholz fan and Michael Kay, whom Vicino can't help but like, is a charter member of the Ryan Kalish fan club. He just couldn't get enough. Kay called him "The Kid" over and over with such fondness you'd have thought Teddy Ballgame was out there. If the Yankee bullpen hadn't tracked down the home run ball, the Yanks announcing crew was going to have a fit. Strange, classy guy.

- I wish Marco Scutaro would drive in more runs. No to complain, I just love yelling out his full name when he does. It feels like something you'd exclaim upon making a great discovery. "Marco Scutaro, I've got it!"

- I really hope Teixeira doesn't start heating up. That lineup is ridiculous enough as is.

- When it was recalled that Kerry Wood once struck out 20 Houston Astros in a game (insane), I sadly had to think for a solid two minutes about whether the Astros still exist as a team. Have I fallen that out of touch with the NL?

- Joba has sure fallen out of favor in the Bronx. Velocity has just been so inconsistent, but it's still surprising to see him coming in to clean up the 6th inning in a 3 run game.

- Was Robinson Cano always this big? I know I'm supposed to be the one keeping track of the pinstripes, but I feel like that guy has put on twenty pounds in the last few months. Always had a bigger frame, I guess, but how can he keep playing middle infield at a high level? He does, and for the time being, he's one of the scariest hitters in baseball to boot.

- Speaking of size, is tomorrow's matchup the biggest, mass-wise, possible in the AL? Lackey v. Sabathia.

- Am I going to be this happy every time Mike Lowell crosses the plate the rest of the season? Man, I wish the guy well.

- Big, big weekend. ITM will be back for more tomorrow. Keep an eye out for the headlines from NY with your morning coffee.

Youk's Injury: The Nail in the Coffin? Or is it?

The Red Sox are coming apart at the seems. I should have known it yesterday when I blogged about last night's must win game and as a huge thunderstorm hit Boston. It was indeed a bad sign, minutes later the news of Youk's required surgery hit twitter, and I began to freak out.

I rattled off text messages to family, and GChatted to like 6 people at once, all with intense anger while waving the white flag. The news forced me to leave the office early before making a scene.

But, in typical Red Sox fan fashion (and after last night's win), I'm not as pessimistic this morning. Sure, Youk is/was our most consistent hitter, and a team leader.....but no one expected Adrian Beltre to become an absolute force in the middle of the lineup, no one exepected Dice-K to become the best number five starter in the game, and honestly, no one expected the Sox to even be in the position to contend at this point in the season.

Boston's chances of making the postseason have likely gone from possible to slim, especially when you consider schedules, but I'm not ready to give up yet. Any kind of significant run, especially over the next ten game road trip, will require continued pitching dominance (I'm talking, super studly stuff), Pedey will need to come back with avengence by late next week, and Mike Lowell may need to get injections into his hip on a nightly basis.

In my humble opinion, the Sox shouldn't make any stupid moves for the likes of Adam Dunn or Carlos Delgado, let this team leave it all on the field and see where the cards fall.

ITM Note: Talk to me after this weekend if we lose three out of four to the Yanks and I may try to punch you in the face. It's make or break time.

Is This As Close To A Must Win Game As You Get In August?

I'm not calling tonight's game against the Indians at Fenway a must win, but it's god damn close.

Consider the importance of the 4 game weekend series against the Yanks in the Bronx, the challenging upcoming schedule which follows it: Toronto (away), Texas (away), LAA (home) and Toronto (home), and the fact that the Rays have finally managed to lose this afternoon (8-6 to the Twins)...and tonight's game against a far lesser opponent becomes amazingly important.

Of course, in fitting fashion, the Sox will trot out Dice-K for what amounts to being the most important game of the year thus far in my book.....and that has Joe Murph real worried.

Word on the street is that Joe Murph will be watching the game from under his blankets tonight in Brooklyn, pulling them over his head every time Dice-K pitches.

A win (coupled with hopeful good news on the injury front from Pedey and Youk) could help to put the team on a roll going into what is clearly the tipping point of the season.

As I typed this up, a huge thunderstorm hit here in Boston......a good sign? Or terrible omen? Crap.



PS: T Murph was at the game last night, here is a direct quote/story from his experience:

......"So Jacoby comes up, gets half of a standing O', and this girl next to me says "What is everyone cheering for?" I responded with "Ellsbury is back". Her response? "Ohhhhhh, I like that".

You can't make this stuff up. Go Sox.

Unreal Catch - Dice-K Needs to Make a Call and Get Him in a Sox Uniform

Someone give that Japanese man a Red Sox uniform. Lord knows we could use an outfield who can catch. I'm assuming this is Dice-K's 4th cousin twice removed....get on the phone Diceman.

In all seriousness, how much does this catch remind you of Isuro Tanaka's grab in Major League Two??? Unfortunately I struck out trying to find video of it, but I'll leave you with this:

It's the long-awaited return of Jacoby Ellsbury tonight. Meanwhile, reports from the field say that Youk is taking grounders at first base....only using his glove hand of course. Now that's a man's man. Go Sox.

Beckett is Back, And Crazier Than Ever

If that's not the face of a focused/slightly insane man I don't know what is. I'm not sure who's more excited about JB's dominating performance tonight, Tito (who verbally undressed Cleveland's coach Smith tonight), or my brother who has him on his fantasy team.

Unfortunately for the Sox, the run of ridiculous injuries continued with Youk going on the DL earlier this afternoon. That news only reinforces the fact that the Sox will need continued deep-in-the-game dominance from their starters if they're going to stay in the playoff race conversation.

That said, if Youk requires season-ending surgery, it's lights out for this team either way.

Regardless, the stories of tonight's game are both JB dominance and Mike Lowell's two run tater on the first pitch he saw before the crowd had even stopped giving him a standing ovation. As much of a disaster as this season has been, tonight's game was a special one to watch.

Jacoby's back tomorrow....as much as the media (ITM included) has given him crap all year, I'll admit, I'm a little excited.

Is this The Worst Video Of All Time? - What Is WEEI Thinking?

I understand WEEI is making its internet presence a priority, but this has to be one of the worst "Red Sox Catch Up" videos of all time, right?

I mean, at least get an attractive female who doesn't have to read off a cue card next to the camera to report 2 mins of crap news. Also, perhaps you should consider reporting something that we don't already know? - Lackey has been incosistent, Wakefield is old, and Jacoby is still "hurt"....yeah, no kidding, even a few of the pink hats probably know that (I couldn't resist).

And what's with the last video clip of the Swedish police officer dancing? It's not even close to being related to the Red Sox, or baseball at all for that matter.

Stick to what you know and what you're good at WEEI.....this isn't it.

ITM note: If that story about the Canadians lighting fire to a baseball field is true, it takes this video from terribly awful, to just normally awful....because that's pretty legit news.

No Magic Tonight - We're Asking For Too Much

The Sox couldn't pull off their third walk off win in a row tonight, although it was no fault of Adrian "I crush anything that moves" Beltre.

Since it's getting late, and I'm still recovering from a weekend in Montreal that took years off my life, I'll drop some post game notes/thoughts below:

- Lackey continues to show far too many commonalities with Dice-K. He was absolutely cruising through 4+ innings, looked great, then hit one hell of a wall, combine that with the crap that is Boston's bullpen, and the wheels come flying off.

-The Sox are now 19-18 in one run games. Quick math says that's way too many close ones at this point in the season, and certainly not a good enough record in them.

-Beltre remains studerific - he absolutely destroyed his second homerun to put the Sox within one.....needless to say, 19 taters, 71 rbi already is assuring him a crap-ton of money this off season.

-Ryan Kalish - the immediate impact despite intense pressure to perform is very impressive. We'll see what happens as scouts get more of a book on him. TMurph continues to lay claim to him as "his boy"....kind of odd, but I appreciate the man love:

Me: Kalish...3 for 3...so studly
Tim: for the record, he will serve as "my boy"
me: are you calling him your bitch?
Tim: No No, just my boy


-Youk's Injury - Don't Rub It! - But seriously, is anyone surprised at this? It's been 2 or 3 days since the last Red Sox injury, they were obviously due (in all seriousness, I'm praying this is a day to day stinger, otherwise our battleship is sunk).

-Once again Boston had runners thrown out at home tonight (including a gross collision/injury at home plate for Carlos Santana....gotta feel for that kid). When 36 some-odd percent of the games you play are won/lost by one run, this CAN"T KEEP HAPPENING.

-ARod continues to suck under the pressure of hitting his fake 600 number. I love it.

-Need a huge start from Beckett tomorrow, what else is new?